1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to aircraft control system interfaces. In particular, aircraft control system interfaces that standardize the division and selection of aircraft flight regimes and flight modes within the selected flight regime.
2. Background
An aircraft type is derived from the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) type certificate designation for a particular design of an aircraft built by a particular aircraft manufacturer. Pilots are categorized according to their license to fly a particular aircraft type: fixed wing, rotary wing, or helicopter. This categorization is due primarily to the different skill sets and extensive training required for each respective aircraft type. A pilot seeking qualifications to fly a different aircraft type must undergo type initial training and flight training in the aircraft followed by simulator training, line training, and checks. The cost of training is a major expense for pilots and the commercial airline industry.
The emergence of multirole aircraft has blurred the lines between fixed wing, rotary wing, and helicopter pilots. Multirole aircraft can take off and land as a normal fixed wing aircraft in a forward flight regime, but can also, through various permutations of aeronautical devices, takeoff and land vertically in a vertical flight regime. Multirole aircraft are therefore able to operate without a runway. This key development is vital due to slot restrictions at major airports stemming from limited runway space. Multirole aircraft will also help to alleviate the decline in regional air service that is so critical to cultural and commercial development in rural areas.
However, multirole aircraft have not gained widespread commercial acceptance due to the interrelated problems of crew training and safety. A pilot of the respective aircraft type develops instinctual reactions to in-flight conditions through training and experience. Instincts for aircraft types operating in the vertical flight regime are different than those for aircraft types operating in the forward flight regime. In the vertical flight regime, the pilot is primarily concerned with lift whereas in the forward flight regime, airspeed is the primary concern. In the respective aircraft type, these factors above all else keep the aircraft in a stable mode of flight. In addition, often the pilot interface for each aircraft design are proprietary and distinct to that aircraft type. Distinct controls require the pilot and crew to learn and train on each individual aircraft, which leads to increased pilot workload and confusion in the cockpit.